Act Now

Get in your Bush-WhacksTonight, Raleigh: President Bush is in town Wednesday, July 7 ($2k and up to see him in person--you weren't invited?), and a local "Retirement Party" is planned downtown, at Moore Square, 5 p.m., on to Greenshields, 6-8.

Run, Durham: Every Saturday, 9 a.m., run, jog or walk around Duke's East Campus--it's the national "Run Against Bush" campaign. Jab_durham@hotmail.com.

August 29, NYC: "The biggest and most important protest in a generation" to greet the Republican National Convention in New York, its organizers promise. Get updates from: www.unitedforpeace.org/email, 212-868-5545.

R U 18-24? Then you (and your friends) are the least likely to vote, and most likely to end up in Iraq. Don't be a (bad) statistic. Register online: www.yourvotematters.org/turnoutNC. D or R, for Bush or against him, why in the world wouldn't you vote?

Eat, Drink or S-p-e-l-lUrban Ministries: In Durham, if you dine on Tuesdays this summer at Spartacus, 4139 Chapel Hill Blvd., you get $12 off and UM of Durham gets $6 of it. Coupons are at www.umdurham.org; Sparatacus: 688-0067.

Wake Literacy Council: Enter a three-person company team in the Council's Annual Corporate Spelling Bee, coming Sept. 14. It's for a good cause--volunteers who teach adults to read. T.Laughlin@mcdonald-york.com., 277-1058 (Tommy Laughlin).

Policy Groups: Schools, ClimateSchool Funding: The N.C. Justice Center's new report is on funding the public schools. www.ncjustice.org, 856-2153.

This WeekTeach-in: "The African-American/Minority Community and the Democratic Process," sponsored by Young Democrats' minority caucus; Wednesday, July 7, 7 p.m. at N.C. Mutual Insurance Co., Durham (Heritage Room). jamieazi@yahoo.com.

Amnesty Int'l: Good time for what this group works for--end torture, promote human rights, free prisoners of conscience around the world. Raleigh group meets Wednesday, July 7, 7:30 p.m. (and every first Wednesday), at Fairmont United Methodist Church, 2501 Clark Ave. 834-4478 (Josh McIntyre).

Durham Progressives: First meeting for the county chapter of the new NC Progressive Democrats Caucus. Thursday, July 8, 7-9 p.m., Durham Public Library main branch, Roxboro Rd. joycagle@mindspring.com, 477-5998.

Iraq Film: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom invites new folks to come on Saturday, July 10, 10 a.m. at the Friends Meeting House, Chapel Hill. Film, discussion, planning for vigils. bethkr@mindspring.com, 542-2539 (Beth Kricker).

Farm Action: You've heard good things about Student Action With Farmworkers but don't know exactly what it does? Find out on Sunday, July 11, 5 p.m., at the Chapel Hill Institute for Cultural and Language Education, 101 East Weaver St., Carrboro. chicle@chi-cle.com, 933-0398.

Convention Center: The architects designing Raleigh's new convention center host three public "feedback" sessions: July 13, August 10, September 14, at the current civic center, 5 p.m. www.raleigh-nc.org.

Hello? Sen. Dole?Dirty Air: New Report by Clear the Air, a Washington enviro-group, documents how Bush Administration policies are letting dirty coal-fired power plants evade the law, with "deadly" consequences for our health. www.cleartheair.org/dirtypower; U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Republican, is at: 202-224-6342.

Feel a Draft? It could be that you're feeling S-89 or HR 163, bills filed to bring back the draft in 2005. The Selective Service System never went away, you know, and is "discreeting recruiting" to fill local draft boards, the British press is reporting. Again, Sen. Dole's number: 202-224-6342.

Fahrenheit 9/11: Make a political statement by seeing the new Michael Moore polemic. Says Eli Pariser, of MoveOn PAC fame: "Incredibly powerful ... lays bare the cynicism and greed behind Bush's war policy."

Win Without War: Read the statement calling for withdrawal by a date certain ("There is no military solution in Iraq ...") Iraq by the coalition of 42 progressive groups at www.winwithoutwarus.org;

Win Without Torture: Read another excellent statement on our treaty obligations barring torture ("There is no 'unless the U.S. president wants to' escape clause ..."), and forward it to members of Congress, at www.fcnl.org (Friends Committee on National Legislature).

NCJustice.org: Get the new "Policy Brief" from your progressive watchdog group in Raleigh (it says that unless you're rich, you're a "net loser" from the Bush tax cuts, and North Carolina's too); also, details on the pending state budget, and the new giveaways to bidness, from its affiliate, the NC Budget & Tax Center; www.ncjustice.org, 856-2153.

For a more purr-fect UnionJune is: Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, of course, as proclaimed by the ASPCA, Petfinder.com and the Chatham County Animal Shelter folks, who ask you to stop pussyfooting around and adopt at 725 County Landfill Dr., Pittsboro (off Rte. 64 West), Monday-Friday, 9-5, Saturday, 10-2. 542-7203. Adorable pictures at www.chathamaniminalrescue.org, www.petfinder.com.

Your N.C. Legislature Inaction
The General Assembly's 2003-04 session is winding down without:

Death Penalty Moratorium: SB-972, the bill to suspend executions for two years--while we examine our methods and consciences--passed the Senate last year. But House Co-Speakers Richard Morgan, the Republican, and Jim Black, the Democrat, have refused to bring it up. Too "controversial," they say. But there's still time ... Morgan: richardm@ncleg.net, 715-3010; Black: jimb@ncleg.net, 733-3451.

Local Campaign Reform: SB-760 also passed the Senate; it would allow--not require--cities to establish a public financing option for candidates in local races. It's also too "controversial" for Morgan and Black (see above) and for Rep. Paul Stam, R-Wake, the House Election Law co-chair. Stam: pauls@ncleg.net, 733-5780.

Stop Gay-Bashing: SB-1057 andHB-1606 are pending bills to amend the state constitution with a ban on same-sex unions, marriages, or any legal recognition of same-sex couples. www.equalitync.org is set up to help you write your legislators quickly. 829-0343.

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